Earning of the title
by sorafallenangel11
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto is not a name one forgets and the owner is out to make sure of it. With Sarutobi Hiruzen taking action and bringing Naruto up the way he always wanted to, how will the Number one unpredictable knuckle-head ninja turn out? Being brought up a true Konoha Shinobi is bound to change anyone, but Naruto didn't get his title for nothing. AU/OOC


**Hey guys. I've been reading loads of Naruto fanfiction lately and was inspired to write this. It is literally just the prologue but I've got big dreams for this fanfic. Hope you enjoy it and please review and tell me what you think.**

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Chapter 1

Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage of Konoha sighed. He was stood before the large widow making up the large majority of the back wall of his office, his hands clasped loosely behind his back. The sun was just beginning to peak out from behind the Hokage mountain, the light illuminating the streets of Konoha. It had been a difficult couple of years, with the end of the Third Shinobi War and the near total decimation of Konohagakure's troops. They had survived, though, with at least 60% of their Shinobi intact. However, it had been a striking blow when, five months later, the Kyuubi no Kitsune had been let free in the village. That day had been marked with the death of nearly a thousand civilians and a hundred shinobi, but most devastatingly, the death of the Yondaime Hokage.

Sighing once again at that thought, Hiruzen turned his head to eye the travel crib set up to the far end of his large desk, although the furniture was still slightly hidden behind it. Inside the crib, fast asleep, was a tiny baby. The baby was a boy, with tufts of pale blonde hair. When awake, the baby had devastating blue eyes, able to melt anyone that looked at him - at least, in Hiruzen's opinion. Apparently, the civilians at the orphanage didn't agree with him. The baby had a small face with the chubby cheeks of infancy. Those cheeks each bared three whisker-like marks, thin black lines decorating his face. He was wrapped snuggly in a bright orange blanket and underneath was dressed in a pale blue sleeper suit.

Reaching into the crib and carefully picking the baby up, Hirsen smiled at the wide yawn the baby released at the movement, even though he did not wake up. Hiruzen could honestly say that he missed this - holding a baby, inhaling their unique smell. He had not held a baby since his youngest child, his only daughter. Pulling the baby into his chest, almost hiding him in his voluptuous official robes, Hiruzen sighed, once again moving to stare out the windows.

"What am I going to do with you, Naruto?"

The baby boy, Naruto, merely smiled in his sleep and turned slightly to snuggle into the old man's chest. Hiruzen gave a low chuckle before walking over to his desk and settling into his large, comfortable chair, leaning back into it with a sigh and holding Naruto securely in his arms as the baby slept.

Naruto had been brought to him a little over 8 hours ago by a chuunin - one of the group assigned to roam the streets of Konoha overnight. The clock had not yet struck 10 o'clock at night when the door to his office had been blown open, a man with shaggy brown hair and concerned hazel eyes striding into his office, careless of his secretary shouting behind him. The man had been in his mid-twenties and wearing the standard Konoha Chuunin vest. But what had caught the Hokage's attention had been the shivering bundle pulled tightly to the man's chest. Whatever the Chuunin was carrying was wrapped hastily in a brown jacket and was topped with familiar blonde hair.

"It's Uzumaki Naruto, sir!"

Hiruzen had already been in the process of standing up, worried at the sight in front of him, but at the man's words was out of his seat and across the room in the time it took the Chuunin to blink. Taking Naruto quickly but carefully from the younger man, he had returned promptly to his chair, settling down and setting the baby on his lap. Naruto was shivering and Hiruzen had been worried at the cold permeating the baby's skin.

"We found him on the streets outside the orphanage. The gates were locked and no one was outside and it didn't seem as if anyone was worried, but we still checked with them first. The matron said that they didn't want the 'monster' with them anymore and did not allow me entrance." The Chuunin stopped, taking a deep breath to reign in his emotions. He had not noticed the Hokage doing the same thing. "With this denial, I made the decision to bring him here, sir. I was not sure where else to take him." Hiruzen nodded at the wise choice the Chuunin had made - he wouldn't have been very happy if Naruto was sent somewhere else without his knowledge. "I sent a message to my team's medic and he should be here soon to check Naruto out, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage had nodded and had not had the time to dismiss the man when the medic arrived, knocking politely on the door frame, as the door was still wide open.

Hiruzen had not been happy with the results of Naruto's check-up. He was suffering from mild hypothermia and malnutrition. He had not eaten much in the nine months of his life. He had also been suffering from a terrible case of nappy rash. But that was not what was still causing Hiruzen to breathe fire - no, that was because of the poison still going through the boy's system. It was a slow acting poison used mostly on prisoners to make them talk, as it caused excruciating pain whilst still keeping the boy alive for up to two days before it gave out. According to the medic, however, the hypothermia would have killed the poor boy before the poison, if the Chuunin team hadn't found him. Naruto had been fortunate, especially as the poison's effects had been negated and a baby-safe painkiller to given to Naruto whilst the poison was flushed from his system.

It had been the first official attempt on Naruto's life, barring the number of foreign Shinobi who had tried to kidnap him when he was newborn and the attempt had been made by a Konoha civilian. The Sandaime Hokage was severly disappointed. But right now, as the sounds of the village waking up filled his ears, all he could wonder was what he was going to do with Naruto now.

Adjusting the baby into a more comfortable position against his shoulder, a small smile spread across Hiruzen's face as he thought of what he was going to do.

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It was a mere two days later that Naruto was found lying in a large, wooden framed crib, covered in a light duvet and his orange blanket and surrounded by stuffed toys. The room he was in was decorated in dark green with a midnight blue ceiling. Small, glow in the dark stars were stuck to the ceiling and giving out faint light in the darkness of the room. The floors were a mahogany wood, although most of it was covered up in a forest green rug. In the room, beside the crib Naruto was currently sleeping in, was a wooden changing table and a large wooden wardrobe partly set into the wall. All of the wooden furniture matched. Also in the room was a large, wicker basket, full of age appropriate toys. Next to the toys basket was a bookshelf, although only one shelf was being used.

This room was connected to a small hallway. This hallway had the same wooden floors as Naruto's room and dark cream walls. The door leading to Naruto's room was an unassuming, dark red. Opposite Naruto's room was a door exactly the same as Naruto's. This room led to another bedroom, this one having the same wood floor and green walls as Naruto's room, although the ceiling was unadorned. However, this room had a large double bed with dark covers. Beside that, the furniture was sparse, with a wardrobe, a bookshelf and a desk, all of them empty.

Next to the door leading to this room from the hallway was another door, this one a lighter red. It led to a modestly sized bathroom, with a bath/shower combo. At the very end of the hallway, there was no door, merely a curtain of beads. This led to the living room. It was a medium sized room, with three two-seater couches and a large armchair all set in a square around a low lying coffee table. In this room, there was also a large bookshelf, this one mostly filled with a large assortment of books and scrolls. Opposite the entrance to the hallway was a brown wood door - this lead to the outside hallway of the apartment complex.

Connected to the living room was the kitchen. The space was divided by a bar table that stretched three-quarters of the way between the two rooms. Three bar stools were set up against it, as well as a high chair. The Kitchen had one long polished counter, with all appliances underneath it, such as drawers, a washing machine and an oven. On top of where the oven sat was a gas hob. Nailed to the wall above the counter were cabinets. The counter opened up a space for the sink, as well. On the wall branching off from the end of the counter was a large fridge/freezer. The kitchen was fully stocked with supplies.

The silence of the apartment was ruined when the front door opened and a man walked in. This man was in his early twenties, with dark hair and the signature wide, pupil-less pearl eyes of the Hyuuga clan. He wore the standard Konoha Jonin outfit, including the vest and had his hitae-ate tied securely around his forehead. He carried over his shoulder a worn backpack. As he moved into the apartment, two more people came in behind him - two women, one brunette and one blonde. Both had brown eyes and both wore the standard Jonin vest and both carried brown backpacks. The three Jonin were on a mission. Care for and protect Uzumaki Naruto.


End file.
